San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. JJ O'Brien moves through USD Jito Kok (33) and Chris Sarbaugh (5) in the second half.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Winston Shepard watches as his shot goes in despite the defense of USD LtoR Jito Kok and Duda Sanadze
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Chris Sarbaugh dribbles up court as Matt Shrigley defends for SDSU in the first half.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. With the clock running out, USD Duda Sanadze pulls up for this shot to win the game but misses it.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Christopher Anderson tips the ball away from Josh Davis of SDSU in the second half.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. USD Chris Sarbaugh (5) and Thomas Jacobs(15) try to stop JJ O'Brien of SDSU in the second half.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. SDSU Skylar Spencer and Josh Davis can't hold on to this loose ball during a rebound attempt in the second half.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. USD Forward Dennis Kramer works his way around Josh Davis and Skylar Spencer in the second half.
— Sean M. Haffey

.San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. SDSU head coach Steve Fisher sets plays prior to the game between SDSU and USD. San Diego State went on to ...
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Christopher Anderson and Dennis Kramer try to shut down JJ O'Brien in first half action.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Christopher Anderson and Dennis Kramer try to shut down JJ O'Brien in first half action.
— Sean M. Haffey

San Diego State vs. University of San Diego Mens Basketball at Jenny Craig Arena on the campus of USD. Christopher Anderson and Duda Sanadze defend against SDSU Skylar Spencer in the first half.
— Sean M. Haffey

“I’m just glad we got the win,” San Diego State guard Xavier Thames said. “USD is a really good team. They’re probably going to be in the NCAA Tournament. That’s the best team they’ve had in a while.”

Steve Fisher’s Aztecs have won eighth straight in what has in terms of the bottom line, become an erstwhile rivalry. His team is ranked 24th in the nation. You’d think it has many bigger conquests ahead.

But Fisher left Jenny Craig Pavilion believing the Aztecs had just had a real test.

“This is not just a team that can’t play and played on emotion and we played flat,” Fisher said. “This is a good team. I don’t want to speak for Bill, but as I watched, this is the best team he’s had.”

Perhaps. Probably, even.

The Toreros were just outmanned in this game.

San Diego State did not necessarily play better than USD, it simply is better.

This game got crazy.

Even the San Diego State fans that had seemed disinterested (or scared) much of the night, got loud in the game’s final 10 minutes.

It had the feel of a big event.

Any time there are enough students from both schools that they can point at each other other and yell, “You suck,” back and forth, it’s a good night at the arena.

And when the home team can play on its video board a clip of fictional newsman Ron Burgundy, on a national radio appearance earlier in the day, saying he “was a Torero, not an Aztec,” it is just plain legit.

A sellout crowd at least twice as large as what we would expect from a nonconference game against any other opponent had plenty of red and black throughout. But the majority wore blue, and the home fans were certainly louder for most of the night.

The fans were a lot like the teams on the court.

It seemed the Aztecs were at times perplexed by what they were doing at this tiny arena across town. They looked like they would rather be somewhere else -- like in bed, or doing homework.

Still, SDSU’s across-the-board size and athleticism being awesome as it is, the Aztecs mostly controlled the pace, seeming both annoyed and confounded by the Toreros.

In fact, you kept waiting for SDSU to put the little guys down.

They eventually did.

But there we were with Christopher Anderson sinking two free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining to pull USD to within 65-64 and then USD tying up Xavier Thames and getting the ball back with one last chance.